Subjective well-being and
Genetics
Our presentation is based on:
Weiss A, Bates TC, Luciano M (2008) Happiness
is a personal(ity) thing: the genetics of
personality and well-being in a representative
sample. Psychological Science 19, 205–210.
How important is?
• Life satisfaction
• Happiness
• Money
College students from 17 different countries
agree that subjective well-being is the most
important in life, more than money (Diener,
2000).
Subjective well-being and FFM
• DeNeve and Cooper (1998) conducted a metaanalysis of 137 personality traits and
subjective well-being found:
• Overall correlation between SWB and Personality (r =
0.19).
• Subjective well-being is related to the Five-Factor Model
(Extraversion, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness).
Relationships between FFM, SWB
and Genetics
• Genetic effects account for approximately 50% of
variance in the FFM (Bouchard & Loehlin, 2001).
• Variance in subjective well-being appears to be heritable
(Bouchard & Loehlin, 2001).
• Genetics effects account for around 50% of the variance
in subjective well-being (Nes, et al., 2006).
• Therefore, Genes might partly linked to subjective wellbeing
• Sharing genes may cause subjective well-being and FFM
to correlate.
Weiss et al. Method
Participants sampled from MacArthur Foundation
Survey of Midlife development in US (MIDUS)
• 50,000 screened by telephone
• Zygosity (twin similarity/dissimilarity, identical/fraternal)
determined by self-report
• Resultant twin sample included 365 monozygotic and 608
dizygotic twin pairs
• Personality and subjective well-being data available for at
least one or both twins in each pair.
• All data from the 973 twin pairs used.
Personality measure
• Each participant received Midlife Development
Inventory (MIDI)
• 25 Item-Personality questionnaire (selfadministered, 4 point Likert scales )
• Degree of N, E, O, A, and C measured (FFM)
Subjective well-being measure
• Assessed by the answers of three questions
• Obtained via telephone interview.
•
•
•
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Questions asked were:Satisfaction with life currently
Control over life
Satisfaction with life overall
• 4 point Likert scale - lower scale – higher
wellbeing
Analysis
• Modelled covariance of identical twins in terms of additive
(A) and nonadditive dominance (D) genetic effects.
• Covariance of Nonidentical set as 1/2A + 1/4D
• Unshared effects modelled as unique environment (E).
• Hypothesis: Genetic variance in subjective well-being stems
from the genetics of personality. Can drop latent genetic
factors specific to subjective well-being without significant
loss in fit.
• Multivariate Cholesky decompostion of additive genetic,
dominance genetic, and unique environmental covariance
between the measures used to test hypothesis.
(Theoretical reduced model vs. saturated model)
Discussion
The Genetics of Subjective WellBeing
(Weiss, Bates & Luciano, 2008)
Important Findings
• No evidence for genetic effects unique to SWB
- Lykken & Tellegen (1996) : 80% of the stable component of SWB is
inherited.
- Inherited personality traits predispose people to happiness?
- Variability underlying individual differences in happiness also responsible
for differences in personality traits?
Suggests involvement of higher order factor.
General Genetic Factor?
• Results suggest that a higher order, general genetic factor may underlie or
contribute to variances in individual differences in personality traits and
SWB.
• Figueredo et al: Life history strategies (2004, 2005, 2007)
- Higher order factor (K) undelrlies a variety of distinct life history
parameters
- common factor K correlates with a number of personality traits; “Big
Neuroticism” r=-0.24, “Big Psychoticism” r=-0.67, “Big Exroversion” r=0.12
Environmental Factors
• Some research has suggested that 50% of overall life satisfaction is not
genetically predetermined.
However, they may be mostly transient.
Set Point Theory
The idea that ‘individuals return to baseline levels of happiness following a change in life circumstances’
(Lucas, 2007).
Genetics may influence the extent of change and speed of recovery to
baseline.
Nes et al (2006): long-term stability of SWB was mainly attributed to
stable genetic factors, whereas susceptibility to change was mostly related
to individual environmental facotrs.
Future Research
Identify the gene(s) responsible for forming personality (and in turn happiness)
which affects so many aspects of life.
Investigate the relationship between SWB and other factors, controlling for
personality.
References
• Bouchard, T.J., Jr., & Loehlin, J.C. (2001). Genes, evolution, and personality.
Behavior Genetics, 31, 243–273.
• DeNeve, K.M., & Cooper, H. (1998). The happy personality: A metaanalysis
of 137 personality traits and subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin,
124, 197–229.
• Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness, and a
proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55, 34–43.
• Nes, R.B., Rysamb, E., Tambs, K., Harris, J.R., & Reichborn-Kjennerud, T.
(2006). Subjective well-being: Genetic and environmental contributions to
stability and change. Psychological Medicine, 36, 1033–1042.
• Weiss A, Bates TC, Luciano M (2008) Happiness is a personal(ity) thing: the
genetics of personality and well-being in a representative sample. Psychol
ogical Science ,19, 205–210.
Thank You
Amy C. Challacombe
Lindsey C. Eunson
Sittha Grindlay
Questions?